Warren Buffett has been linked with a group that is looking to bid for Yahoo May 15, 2016 Warren Buffett, the legendary investor, is backing a consortium that is bidding for the core internet assets of Yahoo, according to reports. The head of Berkshire Hathaway, also known as the Sage of Omaha, is reportedly among a group that includes Dan Gilbert, the billionaire founder of Quicken Loans. US news reports and the Financial [...]
Will Brexit knock house prices? Not in prime central London May 13, 2016 In a bid to sway voters, George Osborne is predicting Armageddon in every economic sector as the collateral damage of Brexit. This week he pointed the finger at property prices, predicting a significant dampening if the UK votes to leave. The chancellor is correct that the property market does stall in the face of investor uncertainty, [...]
Focus On Shepherd’s Bush: Westfield expansion and old BBC Television Centre homes put W12 in limelight May 12, 2016 For years now, the east has been the land of regeneration. The long lead up to the Olympic Games in Stratford and the success of the City fringes have seen most of property agents’ “up-and-coming” rhetoric focused in that direction and one could be mistaken for thinking there was simply nowhere else for traditionally prosperous west [...]
London is still the world’s most luxurious property market while Auckland is the “hottest” city according to Christie’s International Real Estate May 12, 2016 This may come as little surprise, but London has retained its title as the world's most luxurious property market for the fourth year in a row, according to Christie's International Real Estate. The capital topped the list of 100 cities surveyed, beating Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles and Singapore to the real estate top [...]
Housing crisis: Retired Brits twice as likely to fund their children’s home deposits May 12, 2016 RETIRED parents in Britain are twice as likely to fund their children’s home deposits than their counterparts in other English-speaking countries, with London pensioners even more likely to support their offspring. Putting the housing affordability gap into stark relief, research commissioned by payments provider UKForex showed that out of 1,135 British retirees surveyed, 27 per [...]
House sales forecast to stay flat as buyer interest drops for first time in over a year – RICS May 12, 2016 Interest from UK house buyers has dropped for the first time since March 2015, as uncertainty plagues the market, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey. Following the buy-to-let rush that preceded the 1 April tax rise deadline, and with continued uncertainty caused by the EU Referendum, interest from [...]
London house prices broke the £600k barrier for the first time in April, according to the latest House Price Index from Your Move and Reed Rains May 12, 2016 London house prices broke through the £600,000 barrier for the first time in April, while the value of homes in the capital has almost doubled over the past seven years. Property prices in London have risen 11 per cent (£59,605) since this time last year, surpassing all other regions of England and Wales, according to the latest House [...]
New homes on sale in London this weekend: from Elephant Park to private gardens designed by Andy Sturgeon May 11, 2016 Elephant Park, Elephant & Castle From £540,000 Studio to three bedroom apartments and penthouses have been released in the Highwood Gardens building. The release of 222 properties for sale is the latest chapter in Lend Lease’s Elephant Park development, which will build almost 2,500 new homes on 22 acres of land and create a new [...]
O2 – Three merger blocked by European Commission May 11, 2016 The European Commission competition regulator has blocked the planned takeover of O2 by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison. The deal would have seen Telefonica’s O2 merge with Hutchison's UK network Three in a deal valued at £10.25bn. The tie up would have reduced the mobile operators in the UK to three, leaving just Vodafone and BT’s EE to challenge the merged [...]
Dip in house price growth “caused by weak consumer confidence”, says Halifax – but others think it could be the Brexit effect May 9, 2016 UK house price growth actually dipped last month, with economists blaming weakening consumer sentiment for a slowing in annual increases. According to the Halifax House Price Index, average house prices fell 0.8 per cent in April to £212.321. This meant the annual change had slowed from 10.1 per cent recorded in the year to March to 9.2 per cent. [...]